Problem 1: Separation Treasure: LOVE GOD Key: Invitation The very first problem you faced is that you are born into a fallen world. You were separated from the source of truth, life, and love. Each of us has a deep desire to love God and be loved by God. If you feel disconnected from God you will search for that love in all the wrong places. Eventually, you will find yourself disillusioned, out of energy, empty, and ultimately in bondage. "What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself." - Blaise Pascal, Pensées VII (425) Each of us can make it complicated to find the love of God. You may try to manipulate the relationship to meet your needs, demand the type of freedoms you expect or force God into the role you want Him to fill. You may be seeking to have your needs and desires met but you will fail to enter into a relationship with God on your own. The good news is that God is not only ready to enter into a loving relationship with you, but He sent His son to die on a cross. That was the single event in human history that allows you to accept His invitation. What Christians call salvation is nothing more than accepting the invitation to a loving relationship with God Himself. You cannot bridge the gap between humanity's fallen nature and God, but He can, and He did. Whether you have never accepted the invitation to love God or you accepted that invitation long ago, He is still inviting you into a deeper relationship. He always wishes to take the relationship deeper and the invitation is waiting for you to accept it. 1 of 6
Jesus outlined the Five Treasures that He wanted to bring into the world. He announced them in what we refer to as The Great Proclamation: Luke 4:18-19 (NIV) The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor. These Five Treasures represent the five things each of us is looking for in life. Every one of us is seeking out love, freedom, seeing (knowing) God, healing, and joy. For this month we are focusing on the first treasure, LOVE GOD. Like all treasures, things of value are protected. To gain access to them we need a key. And not any old key will work, we need the right key that to unlock the treasure. Fortunately, each of the Five Treasures has a key. At the end of His ministry, Christ gave us the Five Keys and they were contained in what we call The Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-19 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. The first treasure (LOVE GOD) is revealed when we are told to "proclaim good news". The key LOVE GOD is an invitation. When we are proclaiming the good news we are inviting God into our lives, we are inviting others to love God, and we are accepting His invitation to be in a loving relationship with Him. We see the key of invitation in The Great Commission when we are told to "go and make disciples". We aren't going to force anyone into being a disciple. What we are going to do is display a God-filled life and share the good news we have. Only through invitation can we help people to set aside the things that are holding back and help them on the path or relationship to LOVE GOD. Invitations are made in four ways: 1. God invites us to love Him and we accept salvation by inviting Him into our hearts. 2. Invitations are made to the congregation to receive Christ during worship. 3. Invitations are made by the congregations to the community within their sphere of influence. 4. We each invite Christ into our hearts daily, so that we may love Him well. 2 of 6
John 3:5 (NIV) Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Salvation is being reborn in the spirit of God. Philippians 2:12 (NIV) Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, Salvation is instantaneous but also a maturing process. Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Without salvation none of the other treasures are possible. JOINING JESUS ON HIS MISSION The title of this months book is Joining Jesus on His Mission: How to Be an Everyday Missionary. This months treasure is SEE GOD and the key to that is an invitation. Greg Finke has written this book to give you a clear vision for how you can impact the kingdom of Christ by being an everyday missionary and reaching out to those around you. As you extend invitations to those around you they will be able to SEE GOD in you and in their own lives. You will be challenged to think of your daily routine as a mission field filled with opportunities. From the people, you see first thing when you wake-up and your friends to the young lady at the coffee shop, the person next to you at work, the young man who bags your groceries, and every other person you pass by every day. One of the goals of the book is to empower you to stop thinking of missionary work as something that happens on the other side of the world. You only need to look around to see that our society is rapidly becoming unchurched and post-christian. The ideas and methods the American church has traditionally used are quickly becoming less effective. Greg Finke looks to the Bible and the ministry of Jesus to focus on the simple methods and mindsets that Jesus and His disciples used to such great effect that it changed the course of human history. Are you ready to join with the men around you and create a missional community? Can you imagine a group of men that walk along with you to have a powerful impact on your everyday world while also providing support for you while battling the adversary? 3 of 6
LEARNING IN JOINING JESUS ON HIS MISSION Here are some of the ways you may see an invitation in action while reading Joining Jesus on His Mission: Jesus is inviting you to join His mission to reach a lost world. You need to be motivated into action so that you may change the course of eternity for those around you. Jesus isn t inviting you to undertake a mission for Him. Instead, He is inviting you to join in the mission with Him, as a co-laborer. He is the one doing the heavy lifting. Missional living is living out your daily lives on a mission for Jesus and not falling for the idea that you need to travel overseas to make a difference in the world. Missional living aligns with the David s Men program because it starts with a small group, builds and supports those in it, and then reaches out into the world and impact one individual at a time. You will see that your job is to invite others to SEE GOD. You cannot force their relationship with God. You hang out with them and do life with them and Jesus changes their heart. Our society is turning away from God because the Church in the United States has assumed people would just keep showing up to Church. You need to start changing that one person at a time by inviting them to SEE GOD. Once they have seen God they will return to the churches. Jesus doesn t need you to perpetually learn about serving others and loving them. While that is good it is has a far greater on you and the world around you if you start putting what you have already learned into practice. Experience is a far more valuable teacher than any Bible study or book. Joining Jesus on His mission isn t about being efficient and inviting everyone you know to church. It is about taking time and reaching out to one individual at a time and making a Jesus centered difference in their life. Jesus is already at work in the people around you. You don t have to start from scratch. You only need to get involved and help Him where He is already working. As you read through Joining Jesus on His Mission Greg Finke will be recounting many of his personal experiences and stories he has heard from others. It is likely that you will be reminded of similar situations in your life. Take time to write down any experiences in your life that come to mind. Be prepared to share them with the group. What you share may help others learn and FIND FREEDOM through you. 4 of 6
Current Month Assignments Read Joining Jesus on His Mission: How to Be an Everyday Missionary by Greg Finke and prepare a book summary to share with the group. We will do this for each book. The summary should be one page with the following info: List the big ideas. List your key takeaways. List how you will apply to your life now. Provide a copy for each guy at the meeting. Complete the Invitation Word Challenge. As you read Joining Jesus on His Mission underline every invitation word (invite, invites, inviting, invited, invitation, & invitations) that you find (pgs. 15-167). Using the included Invitation Word Challenge Worksheet write down the invitation word, the page (or Kindle location) you find the word on. Consider the word in the context of how the author is using it. Can you see how this instance of the word relates to the treasure of LOVE GOD? Write any comments or insights in the comments column. During the meeting, the actual number will be revealed. The man who is closest to the correct number will be the challenge winner. Memorize the two scripture passages under Topical Memory Verses. Be prepared to quote topic reference verse and brief context. It will be helpful for you to read How to Memorize Scripture and Meditation ABCs in this month s handout. Meet with one other guy in the group. This would be a great opportunity to practice saying your verses. Luke 4:18-19 Topical Memory Verses The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor. Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. 5 of 6
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